


You've Met With A Terrible Fate, Haven't You?

by The_Problematic_Blender



Series: What If? [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Episode: e051-057 The Suffering Game Parts 1-7, Gen, Spoilers for Episode: e051-057 The Suffering Game Parts 1-7, Temporary Character Death, The Adventure Zone: Balance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 23:38:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14147130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Problematic_Blender/pseuds/The_Problematic_Blender
Summary: ”Which direction do you go?””I fly towards… Magnus...spell Magnusphysical Magnus.”An alternate timeline in which Taako chooses differently.





	You've Met With A Terrible Fate, Haven't You?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MoreStars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoreStars/gifts).



> Based on an idea I talked with a friend about.

_”Which direction do you go?”_

_”I fly towards… Magnus.”_

_”Okay.”_

**“Wait, which one?”**

_“Uh, ~~spell Magnus~~ physical Magnus.”_

* * *

Taako remembers hearing stories of souls escaping the astral plane when he was younger, around his fifties. He remembers a human by the name of Edrick in one of the groups he was traveling with, one that, in hindsight, didn’t have the soundest mind in the world. He had crow’s feet that showed when he gave a sly grin, he has streaks of gray in his short, dark hair, and he never took anything that seriously. He was a fan of Taako’s cooking, and when he especially liked his meal, he regaled Taako in stories and things he learned during his travels.

_”Y’know what happens to people when they die, Taako?” He had asked, voice hoarse._

_”They go to the astral plane.” Taako answered._

_”Sometimes.” He responded. “Other times, they manage to break free from the pull of the astral plane, one way or another.”_

_“How?” Taako asks. He took a drink from his waterskin as Taako watched him with the curiosity only a young elf in their fifties could have._

_”They possess people.” He answered. “Regular, everyday people. Y’know when you suddenly shiver and get a chill down your spine, despite it not being cold? That’s a spirit tryna possess you so it doesn’t have to go to the astral plane.”_

_”Edrick, stop telling the kid scary stories.” A gruff orc had said._

_”It’s a real thing, Gor'dun, I know it is.”_

_”How?" Taako asks._

_Edrick looks down at Taako with a serious look, something Taako had never seen from the man. ”I know firsthand what it feels like to have to fight with another soul for your body, I had to when I was in my twenties, and Taako, it’s not a fun fight.”_

Taako never knew if Edrick actually did experience it; the man was senile beyond belief, but as he stares at Magnus in front of him, a ghostly aura of an elf in a black robe surrounding him, he knows that he’s about to experience it. He launches himself forward, arms outstretched as he sails for Magnus’ body. To much of Taako’s surprise, his hands don’t go through Magnus, rather, they go into him, the rest of Taako’s body following. He feels his soul get pulled and stretched as he breaks through some sort of barrier, and it’s a feeling that would make his skin crawl if he was still in his body.

“What the?” Taako hears Edward say, and he opens his eyes to find that he and Edward are standing on some sort of platform. It’s completely dark behind Edward, but in Taako’s peripherals, he sees, well, Magnus’ peripherals, but they’re foggy and distorted, along with the rest of his sight. “How the hell-?”

“Abra-ka-fuck you!” Taako exclaims, raising his hand to fire off a spell with his umbra staff, only to find that he doesn’t have it with him.

“You think you can magic me out?” Edward sneers. “Your wand is a physical object, it can’t-”

Taako does something he has never done before and punches Edward, square in the nose. Edward recoils with a surprised noise, holding a hand to his face. “You fucking punched me!” Edward exclaims. Taako doesn’t dignify that with an answer as he launches himself towards Edward, ready to get in his first physical fight.

* * *

“I have a fucking idea for you!” Taako had exclaimed promptly before falling backwards and fainting.

“Yeah?” Magnus asked with a subtle tone of amusement before looking to Merle. Before Merle could say something, Magnus lets out a sharp gasp and staggers back, holding his head with his hands. “What the?”

“Edward?” Lydia looks at Magnus with concern.

“How the hell-? Abra-ka-fuck you!” Magnus cuts himself off, and Merle’s eyes light up with realization.

“Would you excuse me for a minute?” Merle asks Lydia as Magnus mutters incoherently and jerks in an unnatural and violent manner. Lydia doesn’t acknowledge him, completely fixed on Magnus with a look of utter worry. Merle turns his back to the two as he casts Planear Ally, reaching out to the space.

* * *

Magnus has never been this afraid as he’s sucked into the rift to the astral plane. He watches as Kravitz tries to pull himself out of the dark, choppy waters from inside of the rift, a panicked and afraid look on his face as he fights against this water that is swirling around him and trying to suck him back under. He’s up to his knees

Magnus suddenly feels something grab him, and he looks down to see the crude fingers of Merle’s soulwood arm around him, but way, _way_ bigger. He looks behind him to see Merle, arm outstretched into a large, ghostly extension that is holding tight to Magnus. Magnus is suddenly pulled back, back to the stage as Merle pulls him back up to him. In the few short moments before he’s pulled back to the living plane, he tries to piece together what h happened since he was cast out of his body, as Taako is comatose on the ground, Magnus’ body is spasming in a terrifying way, and Lydia is watching Magnus’ body with horror.

And then he’s enveloped in a blinding light.

* * *

From below Merle, Taako gasps like he’s been underwater for an uncomfortable amount of time, trying to catch his breath as he sits up. There’s a bright flash of gray light as something is thrown from Magnus’ body, his convulsions suddenly stopping as he pants. That gray light turns out to be Edward, unfurling itself back into an Elven shape. Edward looks at Taako, expression a flurry of emotions. “How the hell did you do that!?” He demands.

“Do what?” Taako asks between breaths, as he forces himself to his feet.

“Holy shit,” Magnus says. “Merle, did you get Magnus back?”

Merle doesn’t even know how to process Magnus asking him if he got himself back in third person. He looks up at Taako, and Taako is wide eyed as he looks at Magnus, and then at himself. “Gods, I’m Taako.”

* * *

_”Magnus, you still feel numb, but you’re a back. You’re on the ground, and you see Merle standing next to you. What do you do?”_

**”Am I in my body, or am I just a spirit?”**

_”What do you do? You’re awake, you’re not in the ethereal plane anymore.”_

**”I.. I get up, I want to get back into the fray.”**

_”Alright. As you regain consciousness, you’re gasping for air because you hadn’t been breathing since you left your body. You sit up as you try to fill your lungs with all the air you can manage, and you hear Edward say to you “How the hell did you do that!?”_

**”He says that to me?”**

_”Mhm.”_

**”I stand and say, uh,** “do what?” ”

_”Taako looks over- I assume I’m in control of my body again, right?”_

_”You are in control of the body you’re in, yes.”_

_”Alright, then Taako looks over at Merle and Magnus._ “Holy shit, Merle, did you get Magnus back?" "

 _”Merle and Magnus, you hear Magnus say this, and Merle, you don’t know how to process the question, because as far as you know, Magnus just asked you if you brought him back in third person, which is weird. Magnus, you_ really _don’t know how to process this, because you are looking at your body, and you’re hearing your voice, but you know you didn’t say that. And as you look down, you see that you’re in a robe, and you have arms and hands that are too small and smooth to be your own, and the more you look over your body, you realize that it’s not your body, it’s Taako’s.”_

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read more of this story specifically, or more alternate timelines in general, let me know in the comments down below. Be sure to leave a kudos as well, so I know if I did a good job or if I should just give up on writing altogether. I've already given up writing for one fandom, I will not hesitate to do it again.


End file.
